Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1887-04-01
The Interstate Law.

1t seems fair to assume that the inter-
State commerce bill, recently passed by
Congress, will operate favorab'y to the
farmer in the Eastern and Southern States.
Heretofore. within the last ten or fifteen
years, the great trunk-line railroads have
made very low rates of freights for the
transportation OF grain from the far West.
The freight charged for these long hauls
from the far Western States to the Eastern
and seaboard markets has been out of all
tcomparison with the rates paid by the
farmers of the Eastern, Middle and South
ern States for the short hauls necessary TO
bring their grain to the same markets. 1t
was this policy of discrimination in favor
of the Western producers which first gave
such an impetus to the growth of cereals
upon large scale upon the fertile prairie
land and which has brought the produc-
tions of the Western States 50 fully into
competition with those Of the seaboard
States in tLeir own markets. The extern
sive system of speculations and gambling
in grain and IDEALS" in futures" which
have grown up in recent years, which
serve to run down and unsette prices to
the great detriment of the producer, were
the outgrowth of this policy and the un-
fair Determinations that have grown up
under it.
Now Congress CO nes in, in the exercise
of its right to regulate and supervise the
conduct of these common carriers, the rail-
roads, and says that they must make an
end of this business of discrimination and
must levy corresponding freight tariff
upon long and upon short hauls. This
will deprive the Western grower of cereals,
and more especially the grain speculator.
Of that section of country, OF the privileges
which have been heretofore thus accorded
to them by the great trunk lines. Now
the railroads must either make heavy
reduction in freight rates to the grain
shipper in the more easterly States, or .
heavy advance upon the rates now charg-
ed to the far Western shipper. The latter
alternative will undoubtedly be adopted
by the railroad companies and the result
will be certain advance of the price Of
cereals in the Eastern markets.
Thus it may come to pass that the pro-
duction OF wheat may again become profit
able in Maryland. If the inter State law
shall prove to be practical and efficient
measure, which will accomplish the pur-
pose for which it has been devised, there
is little doubt that the result above indi-
Gated will follow its enforcement. The
opinion seems to prevail that. in the hands
of the excellent commission appointed by
the President, the lsw will lie given pract-
ical operation which will fully carry ou.
the design Of the law makers
With this prospect of better market
for grain and the probability of better
prices for tobacco during the coming sea-
son, our farmers may derive some little
crumbs of comfort and entertain the hope
that agricultural industry in our section
may once more meet with some reward
and the growth of the s'sple crops again
prove remunerative. But while we in
dulge the hope that these appsraut pros
poets may not prove Elusive, but may be
YAk5ealiEed, still We hope that the move
SSAEhich seems e hsysl1ea u asesea
med re set on foot in our section, to
abandon the exclusive growth of the staple